I have been down the path of working with a traditional publisher and it didn’t work out.  After two and a half years of many versions of my manuscript, my former publisher didn’t meet two publication dates they set in 2012.  Each time a date was missed there was no explanation.  I tried to negotiate a publication date in 2013 but the publisher refused to negotiate.  I threw up my hands in disgust and terminated that contract.

When I started my journey to publication in early 2010 I was hell bent on traditional publishing.  I felt there was a dark cloud over self-publishing.  I was convinced that I wouldn’t be a legitimate author if I self-published.  Check the definition of author, then you’ll understand.

For years self-publication meant vanity press but now there are legitimate alternatives.  I was approached by a subsidy publisher but after careful analysis I concluded only the publisher benefited from that relationship.

For self-publishing I selected Amazon’s Create Space because the Linkedin groups I belong to rated their experience as very good to exceptional and because my friend and author, Marshall Cook, selected Create Space after his publisher of many years went out of business.

Create Space is completely transparent in the services they provide at no cost and those that have a fee.  I have called them for help and written e-mails.  They are patient with me and always offer a solution.  When my browser didn’t work to upload my manuscript file, they did it at no cost in the format they needed for publication.  They offered this solution to my problem, I didn’t ask.

My goal is to publish MURPHY’S TROUBLES in November; I’ve been assigned a Create Space publishing assistant to guide me through the publishing maze.  I consider myself fortunate to have the services of Create Space to help a novice publish my debut novel.  A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity. 

Traditional literary agents and the publishing industry is risk averse because they are in the business of making money, not encouraging literature.  Create Space has developed a publishing model where there risk is minimal and the cost to the writer is only what they can reasonably pay yet have a high quality book produced.  So what if Amazon is the 600 pound gorilla in the room?  I like gorillas.   

Several years ago I became interested in traditional oral storytelling.  I thought  oral storytelling would be a natural extension of my writing fiction.  I felt that learning to tell oral stories would deepen and enrich my writing.

A local librarian was working to establish a storytelling group where people could learn the art, be supportive and refine their presentation and stories.  The first meeting included an eclectic mix of people all with different reasons for wanting to be storytellers.  As part of the meeting attendees were asked to volunteer to tell stories.  The first was the librarian who told a story of a family canoe trip.  While she told the story dramatically (read melodramatically) it was neither interesting nor humorous.  A second couple told a story about a trip they took in the Caribbean.  They laughed throughout their own story; they were the only ones in the room that were laughing.  Do you see a pattern? My idea of true storytelling wasn’t about folks sharing their own life experiences;  that should be confined to family reunions or professional comedians.

 This past weekend there was a Wisconsin Storytellers Get Together at a local library.  The cost for the day was $40; I wasn’t sure what the money was to be used for but spending that amount wasn’t going to break the bank.

About 25 people attended of which 21 were women that had been retired for at least 10 years.  Of the four men attending only one looked young enough to still be holding a day job.  In the very first session I learned that most attending performed storytelling for money.  I was shocked and surprised. I didn’t want to tell stories to add to my income, but for the art.  It began to feel bad in my gut.

It became crystal clear that these folks were not interested in stories, they were interested in performing.   I’m not interested in performing; I’m interested in storytelling as an art.  I had a strong reaction in my gut.  That part of you that says:  get out now, this isn’t for you.

After the first session I quietly walked out.  I didn’t get my forty bucks worth, or maybe I did.  I avoided what could have been a major detour on my journey to become a better writer.  I’m a writer, not a performer; at forty bucks I guess it’s a cheap lesson.

    

In February I terminated my contract with Mischievous Muse Press to begin the journey to self-publication.  Since then the book cover has been completely redesigned and the back of the book blurb tossed and re-written.

The first edit the manuscript had was a substantive edit by my friend and mentor Marshall Cook.  As a result I added two chapters and re-wrote the last chapter, dramatically changing the ending of the book.  Marshall convinced me that making the last paragraph of the book a cliff hanger just wasn’t fair to the reader.  Of course, he’s right.

Next, my website:   www.rexowens.us had a complete make-over.  I actually hired a pro to provide me with an analysis and make specific recommendations for change.  I accepted all the recommendations and in a single month saw a 25% jump in hits.

It took quite a while for me to find a compatible copyeditor/proofreader.  In August I found Christine Keleny of www.ckbookspublishing.com, who lives in a small town right here in Dane County, Wisconsin. Christine provided both insightful copyediting and line proofreading.  It has taken me about a month to review Christine’s recommendations and incorporate about 98% of them (Christine would prefer I write out all numerals).  In September I also took a one day brush- up course on grammar and punctuation because my experience with Christine was proof it would be beneficial for me.

I am now on the brink of publication.  First, I will be doing technical editing on formatting and consistency in the manuscript.  Then will come the day that I upload the manuscript to Create Space.  Recently, Create Space is offering more options on what is called interior design.  I want to take my time to get the “look” that I want for the book.  Create Space will also send me a hard copy galley to review and make final changes.  Then, the hour will arrive in October when MURPHY’S TROUBLES is published.

I want to choose a date for publication that coincides with a significant event in the history of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.  Right now I’m leaning toward 27 October (1980) the day the first Hunger Strike began.    

  

Have you ever started a hobby – just because.  A few years ago I decided I wanted to learn to kayak.  My wife reluctantly agreed.  A co-worker suggested we take a class from a local Kayak shop to see if we liked it.  We took the class and both my wife and I fell in love with it.

With a kayak you’re on the water, typically near the shore of a lake or on small rivers or creeks.  You’re able to move silently and with a low profile that doesn’t disturb the wild life.  A few weeks ago we witnessed a spectacular bird exhibition at a nearby lake.

There’s a small park in western Dane County that has a small lake, Indian Lake, that doesn’t allow boats with motors.  It is a perfect lake for kayaking and canoeing.  It was a mid-morning Saturday and with the exception of a single surf boarder we had the lake to ourselves.  Along the shore we saw sandpipers and turtles.  Over head we saw a pair of big blue herons that were intent on leaving the lake.  It soon became apparent why they decided to leave.

A large eagle was circling the lake.  We paddled to the western end of the lake to watch the eagle hunt.  It would circle, circle, circle, not caring that was watching.  Several times the eagle flew directly overhead.  Then the eagle plunged headfirst into the water.  We watched as he hit the water his talons extended then he flew away at a 45 degree angle.  We both thought he snagged a fish.  Instead of flying away to a perch he continued to circle the lake, he missed his prey.

From behind us we heard a shrill squawk and saw another eagle take off from the tree tops.  It must be a hunting pair and the Mrs. was obviously upset about the male’s ineptitude.  The female began circling the lake and the male flew off to the east and out of sight.

This is why I kayak.  

For my parents’ generation it was December 7, 1941.  For my generation it will always be September 11, 2001.  That year it was on a Tuesday.  This year it’s a Wednesday, time marches on.  Like most of us I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing.

The tragedy of so many innocent lives lost in a single day remains incredulous.  For us survivors it has been the twelve years past that weigh on us.  As recently as the last two years, NYC firefighters had to fight in Congress to receive benefits they deserve for health care.  My brother-in-law works for FEMA and he spent months at ground zero.  To this day he can’t, he won’t talk about his experience.

That day we all became hostages to terrorism.  We have fought a twelve year war against an enemy that isn’t a state but a movement.  Killing Bin Laden didn’t have the emotional satisfaction we all anticipated.  When President Obama announced Bin Laden’s death there were impromptu demonstrations in streets with cheering, flag waving, and singing. The jubilation faded as quickly as it began. 

 For several weeks CNN and other news media flooded us with the details of the seal team’s mission.  Yet, it wasn’t satisfying.  We all knew the war goes on.  Try flying anywhere and you’re reminded that we continue to live under the anvil of terrorism.

Terrorism is based on fear, the unexpected and continuous danger.  The Provisional Irish Republication Army invented modern day terrorism.  The Provisional IRA was the first officially internationally designated terrorist organization for their unique form of warfare from 1968-1998 called The Troubles.

I don’t know if either the national psyche or our individual psyche will recover from terrorism’s threat in my lifetime.

I like quotes that inspire, provide perspective, get me in touch with myself and express a truth in simple words.  All around my office I have little pieces of paper with quotes hanging with scotch tape on bookcases, walls, etc.  I thought I would share some of my favorite.

“Do or do not.  There is no try.”  Jedi Master Yoda

“The individual human spirit is nourished by a sense of connectedness to the whole of human awareness.” I Ching

“Don’t want to be a writer.  Be writing.”  William Faulkner

“Be careful who you let read your work.   I’m a big believer in writing programs and workshops, but you can’t listen to everybody’s voice.  You have to decide who you’re going to trust.  First yourself.”  Alice Hoffman

“To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind.  To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will.  To trust yourself, to test the limits, that is the courage to succeed.”  Bernard Edmonds

This isn’t the whole collection, but I’m sure you get the flavor.  Send me your favorite quote and I’ll write a blog on quotes that folks send in.

  

When I decided to terminate my contract with the California micro publisher I was naive about the self-publishing world I would enter.  Where does a self-publisher find resources needed to publish a novel if you want to avoid the vanity houses that have been around for years.

There are private companies now that specialize in helping self-publishers find resources for editing, printing, marketing, and distribution.  I signed a contract with one.  I turned down two proposals to content edit my manuscript.  One proposal was for $5000 and the other for $2700.  A Madison friend offered to content edit in exchange for a contribution to his favorite charity.

A Sun Prairie friend offered to design a book cover.  He didn’t want to be paid but I researched the going rates for design work and gave him a check plus paid the picture he got from the internet.

My book was ready for copyediting and proofreading.  I contacted the firm and they put me in touch with an editor in South Dakota.  That editor wanted over $3000 for the job.  I was discouraged because I don’t have that kind of money to spend on my book.

My wife recalled that we attended a seminar at a local independent bookstore in April and one of the presenters was a copyeditor.  I searched through my notes and found her contact information.  She responded to my request for a proposal the same day I sent the e-mail.  The quote was very reasonable; she could start immediately and be finished in a week. Tilt! Tilt!  The copyeditor lives in Dane County, Wisconsin.

I have been fortunate to find the resources I need to self-publish Murphy’s Troubles and all within My Own Back Yard.    

I like LinkedIn because it’s professional and has allowed me to participate in a number (read +10) discussion groups for authors.  On several occasions I have posted questions to discussion groups on a writing topic and each time received very useful, direct answers.

One hazard of belong to online discussion groups is that you become a known person.  Recently I was invited to belong to a new professional social network for writers based in Australia.  The international connection intrigued me.  It was a Beta site and I had been selected to participate in the site’s beta test.   At the time I thought it was a distinction.

Soon after I joined I was asked to add a profile and I provided the minimal information.  Then there was an avalanche of messages.  There were messages from strangers asking me to be “friends”.  There were messages from “groups” asking me to join their group.  I figured out how to respond to the invitations to groups.  The groups I joined included ‘serious writers’; ‘novelists’ and others of that type.  That of course led to a barrage of posts.  I began receiving 30-40 posts a day from this one site.

Wanting to have online etiquette, I wanted to respond to those who had asked to be friends.  I couldn’t figure it out.  Not to be outdone, I simply sent a post out asking how to respond to a “friend request.”  No friends responded.  Next, I used the contact form on the site to ask how to respond to a “friend request”.  I waited 4 days without a response.

Joining the Beta site has been too much of a good thing.  Now, I’m stuck.  I don’t know how to ‘unjoin’ the beta site and I’m swamped with too much e-mail.  I’ve paid the price.  

“The world is too much with us now . . .”  T.S. Elliot.  And so it is with me.  I am posting a day early this week so that I may leave soon on a short sojourn.  In my publication update posted last week my path contains Promethean boulders.  It has been six months since I terminated my publishing contract with the California micro-publisher and the reality of publishing this year remains uncertain.

I have been disappointed that outside my small group of local friends, those offering to help are motivated by the almighty dollar.  Recently one editor proposed both content editing and proofreading.   When I responded that my manuscript had the skills of a retired Journalism Professor for content editing she countered with “many authors have two editors review their work.”  I asked twice for a proposal for only proofreading and the editor didn’t respond.  Her fee for content editing was $54/hr. and for proofreading $42/hr.  Whose interest did she have in mind when requiring an all or nothing deal?

While the path to publication is again temporarily blocked while I search for a proofreader, I need a reprieve.  I am giving myself a week to experience another culture and will return to post about that experience next week. 

I’m at the stage of self-publication to need copyediting/proofreading services.  I asked one of my writing teachers for a recommendation for a local person and received one.  I dashed off an e-mail to learn if the person was currently available to take on another client.  The response I received corrected me; she was a line editor, not a copy editor or proofreader.  I thought the response was a bit high minded but the description of the services made sense. Her fee was $45/hr which was within the range I had researched on line for this type of service.  She asked for the first chapter of my novel and I sent a file on July 6th.

The first chapter is six pages, about 1830 words.  How long can it take to read those few pages and make a proposal?  It took three follow-up e-mails to receive a response on July 21st.  She estimated she would charge $200 for the first six pages.  At that rate line editing my novel would cost over $9000!  After reading just six pages she concluded:  I’m at the beginning stages of the novel and stated:  “My strong suggestion is to take a class in constructing the short story –this will strengthen your understanding of how to avoid cultural stereotypes and produce a complex protagonist who is a real individual; how to stick to a strictly internal POV; how to introduce back-story convincingly; and above all, how to expose conflict gradually, instead of all at once.”

Guess what?  The editor teaches short story writing.  Also, the editor has only published short stories, never a full length novel.  The critique is harsh and not transparent in being self-serving to attempt to get me to take one or more of her short story classes.

I understand that short story writing is a difficult and unique form in the writing profession.  I’m not writing a short story, it’s a novel.  A short story is a song while a novel is a symphony.  Her comments also convinced me she hasn’t kept up with current teaching on novel writing such as Donald Maass’s, WRITING THE BREAKHOUT NOVEL, where he implores authors to have conflict dripping on every page.

While her response was both subtle and tactful it still had the affect of slicing and dicing my novel to shreds.  Where is her support for a first time novelist?  She broke the cardinal rule of critique, praise the good and make suggestions for improvement.

I admit at first reading her comments were devastating and sent me into deep depression.  With this blog I’m exorcising her from my psyche and moving on.  I’ll find an editor I can work with.